Today Governor Josh Stein signed Executive Order 23, establishing the North Carolina Energy Policy Task Force to strengthen the state’s electricity infrastructure and energy affordability as demand increases. The task force will be co-chaired by Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson and Representative Kyle Hall.
This Executive Order continues the state’s leadership in the clean energy economy. Despite federal cuts to clean energy and manufacturing tax credits, Governor Stein is charging the task force with determining how the state can remain steadfast in keeping utility costs affordable for North Carolinians, meeting its economic development and environmental protection goals, and managing increasing energy demand.
“North Carolina is a leader in the clean energy economy and is home to more than 100,000 clean energy jobs,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am grateful for this task force helping to determine how our state can build on this economic momentum, meet growing energy demands, and ensure electricity is affordable for North Carolinians.”
“I am proud to co-chair this task force,” said Co-Chair and DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “As our growing state’s demand for electricity increases, transitioning to clean energy will help ensure affordable prices for ratepayers.”
“North Carolina is growing fast, and we need to meet a greater need for energy while at the same time lowering people’s utility bills,” said Co-Chair and NC Representative Kyle Hall. “This bipartisan task force will find real solutions that continue to foster growth and keep more money in North Carolinians’ wallets.”
North Carolina is the third-fastest-growing state in the country. With our state’s rapidly growing manufacturing footprint and the use of energy intensive data centers for artificial intelligence and other uses increasing, the need for electrical power is placing additional demand on the state’s energy grid. Such demand may lead to higher utility bills for families. With growing demand in mind, North Carolina must work to meet its energy requirements while keeping electricity costs low for families.
In the wake of state and federal policy changes, the task force will be committed to ensuring North Carolina continues to push forward on critical clean energy commitments that protect the our natural resources, the state’s economy, and people’s pocketbooks. The reconciliation law that Congress passed and President Trump signed into law repealed key components of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, ending access to many energy and manufacturing tax credits for North Carolina businesses – a policy that sparked more than $24 billion in clean energy technology investments across the state. The reconciliation law combined with the General Assembly’s Senate Bill 266 will mean higher costs for families and threaten up to 50,000 future jobs. Governor Stein has charged the council with evaluating how to maintain the state’s clean energy commitments while keeping utility bills low in the midst of these changes.
Governor Stein is committed to lowering energy costs for families, reducing North Carolina’s dependence on carbon, and expanding the state’s clean energy economy. The state’s commitment to clean energy has attracted companies from across the globe. Since taking office, Governor Stein has announced $4.9 billion in new investments and more than 15,000 new jobs from clean energy and clean technology companies, including JetZero’s announcement of the largest jobs commitment in state history at Piedmont Triad International Airport to manufacture high efficiency, low emissions aircraft. Governor Stein also joined the groundbreaking of Boviet Solar’s new solar module factory in Greenville. In January, the Governor launched Energy Saver NC, an initiative to promote energy efficiency that provides rebates to households that install energy-efficient appliances, improve home insulation, or upgrade electrical systems. Governor Stein is also committed to building resilient energy infrastructure across the state after Hurricane Helene.
Governor Stein issued the executive order establishing the Energy Policy Task Force to recommend policies to strengthen the state’s clean energy economy by managing increasing electricity demand while maintaining affordability, reliability, and carbon emissions reductions. The task force will submit an annual report to the Governor, the General Assembly, the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority, and the public.
Click here to read Governor Stein’s executive order.
Members of the Energy Policy Task Force:
- Reid Wilson, Secretary of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
- Representative Kyle Hall
- Representative Terry Brown
- Senator Michael Lazzara
- Senator Julie Mayfield
- Asher Spiller, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Environmental Division, North Carolina Department of Justice
- Jennifer Mundt, Assistant Secretary for Energy and Infrastructure, North Carolina Department of Commerce
- Chris Ayers, Executive Director, North Carolina Utilities Commission Public Staff
- Chris Chung, CEO, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
- Mark McIntire, NC Environmental Policy and Affairs Director, Duke Energy
- Winnie Wade, External Affairs Manager, Dominion Energy
- Michael Youth, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for NC Electric Cooperatives
- Kathy Moyer, Chief Operating Officer, ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc.
- Ray Fakhoury, Energy Policy Manager, Amazon Web Services
- Rachel Wilson, Southeast Energy Market Lead, Google
- Don Stewart, President, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina
- Markus Wilhelm, Founder and CEO, Strata Clean Energy
- Christina Cress, Attorney, Ward and Smith, P.A.
- Matt Abele, Executive Director, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association
- Steve Wall, Senior Research Advisor, North Carolina Collaboratory
- Tim Profeta, Senior Fellow, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Duke University
- Steve Levitas, Independent Energy Policy Consultant
- Will Scott, Southeast Climate and Clean Energy Director, Environmental Defense Fund
- Katharine Kollins, President, Southeastern Wind Coalition
- Dave Rogers, Deputy Director, Beyond Coal, Sierra Club
- David Neal, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center